We Can't Forget
by Daisie
Summary: James Potter and Lily Evans were married and had a prodigy of a son named Harry James Potter. That is for certain. What happened before, and to whom Lily’s love was promised before an accident tied her to James is left totally up to yours truly. Enjoy.
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the related characters, terms, etc., I only accept credit and/or responsibility for the plot that you do not recognise. So... yeah. 

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Summary: James Potter and Lily Evans were married and had a prodigy of a son named Harry James Potter. That is for certain. What happened before then, and to whom Lily's love was promised before an accident tied her to James is left totally up to yours truly. Enjoy. 

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Chapter: Prelude

**Thanks To: **My beta-reader, Julie. Thanks... 

"We Can't Forget."

Lily Evans sat at her usual table in the Hogwarts library surrounded by mountains of dusty books. She had been sitting in the same seat for hours searching for one elusive charm for her independent project. She had spent hours and had yet to find out anything remotely interesting. Sighing loudly, she flung her weight backwards, causing her chair to tip precariously on its back legs. 

"You oughtn't do that, you'll break the chair" came a voice from behind her as strong hands brought the chair back into its proper position. 

"I know what I ought and ought not do, thank you very much," Lily said sharply, turning to face whomever she was talking to.

"That's no way to talk to your best friend," replied Remus casually, slipping into the chair adjacent to hers. He pushed a stack of books aside and looked into Lily's beet red face. 

"I didn't know it was you," she said quietly, tucking a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear. "If I had known, I would have been sure to use more colourful vocabulary." 

"I wanted to, er, talk to you about something," began Remus after a pregnant pause, "are you busy?"

"It depends on how important what you have to say is." 

"It can wait then," said Remus quickly, standing up and pushing in his chair.

"I wasn't serious," whispered Lily, fooling around with the same strands of hair. 

"Well, in that case," he sat, "We've been friends for a long time Lily, and I, well..." Lily, sensing the nature of the conversation, put her quill down and laid her hand on Remus'. "We've known each other for six years and we've been good friends since the Sorting and, well, I want to take things to a, er, more advanced level..."

Lily blushed. "Do you want to be my boyfriend Remus? Is that what you're asking me?" she asked, squeezing his hand. 

It was Remus' turn to redden. "I didn't mean to take things that quickly... I just wanted to take you with me into Hogsmeade," he said hurriedly, "I wouldn't want to rush you."

"Rush me?!" she asked incredulously, "Remus, you sexy fool you," he had turned nearly purple at this point, "I've been waiting for you to ask me for months, years even," she said, speaking as loudly as possible without being accosted by the librarian. 

"Oh," said Remus quietly, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't know. But if that means you _want _to be my girlfriend, then that's fine with me too," he smiled. 

"Only if you let me kiss you, I've been waiting to for ages," she said, batting her eyelashes at him. 

Remus brought his chair back down and leaned in close to her. "Kiss you like this?" he asked, his lips only just brushing hers and he spoke. Lily nodded before she leaned in to kiss her new boyfriend in a way that could only be described as ferocious. 

"Right," said Remus dumbly as Lily pulled away from him and went back to flipping through her book. "I'm going to go now." 

Lily smiled as she watched Remus leave the library. She'd been wanting to kiss him since their fourth year and she had to admit to herself that she was quite pleased with the results. 

Peter Pettigrew stood outside the library, waiting for Remus to emerge. Although moments earlier he'd been a subdued and calm looking young man, when Remus came into his line of vision Peter best resembled an excited puppy. "Was she in there? Did you ask her? Did she say yes? What did you do?" he rambled. 

Remus just nodded. 

Peter squealed. "Don't tell James though, I heard him talking earlier, I think he still likes her..." 

Remus stopped. "James still likes Lily?" Peter stopped beside Remus and nodded. Remus' face contorted into a wolfish snarl and he steered Peter towards the wall where he kept Peter still with his hands on his shoulders. "You knew this?" Peter nodded. "Did you not think to tell me?" 

"No?" 

"Great, that's just bloody great..." 

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Author Note: Yes well, I've been harbouring this idea for ages and this is all that I've managed to squeeze out for the time being. There will, of course, be more... but consider this the baguette passed around with Camembert before the main course... Then we'll all be happy and you'll review? Right? *cheers* 


	2. Nervous Admissions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter and the related characters, terms, etc., I only accept credit and/or responsibility for the plot that you do not recognise. So... yeah.

**Summary:** James Potter and Lily Evans were married and had a prodigy of a son named Harry James Potter. That is for certain. What happened before then, and to whom Lily's love was promised before an accident tied her to James is left totally up to yours truly. Enjoy.

**Chapter: ** "Nervous Admissions"

"We Can't Forget."

"Peter, I want you to listen to me and pay attention like you never have ever before," said Remus earnestly, his hands still gripping Peter's small shoulders. Peter nodded enthusiastically. "Lily and I, we're going to be our own little secret for a while, understand?" Peter nodded again. "I'll tell James and Sirius myself, don't say anything."

"Mum's the word," chirped Peter as the pair began to walk again.

"Mum's the word," repeated Remus quietly, suddenly feeling extremely foolish.

"Remember," said Remus sternly once they'd reached the portrait hole, "not a word about Lily."

"Not a word..."

Remus took a deep breath before giving the Fat Lady the password, (sugar dumpling) and stepping into the Commons Room. He had honestly hoped that Sirius and James wouldn't be there, but they were right where Remus had left them, on a sofa in front of the fireplace.

"Remmie dah-ling" called Sirius, jumping up and down to catch his attention. "Jamesie here has the most fah-bulous news!" 

"Does he?" asked Remus casually, meeting them at the chair where James sat staring unseeingly at the fire, apparently deep in thought.

"I do," replied James, turning to smile at Remus and Peter, "sit." They sat and James stood in front of them. He had a thing for control. "I know how to get Lily," he announced, Remus cringed.

Sirius chuckled softly at James as he perched himself on the arm of the chair. "Go on, tell them your reasoning..." 

 "Well, I've been lying low for the past year or so, and I think she's noticed. I'm going to casually ask her to Hogsmeade… I'll catch her off guard, and she'll say yes!"

Sirius jumped up and exclaimed that he would play Lily and James would be himself. "Go to Hogsmeade with me," declared James gallantly, bending to one knee. Remus began to feel a large boulder sliding uneasily down his throat as the show continued.

"Oh James, you haven't asked me out in a year, and you totally caught me by surprise... I would _love _to be your date to Hogsmeade and then someday make lots and lots of little babies with you," cried Sirius is his best girlish voice. This was quite a feat in itself because Sirius' was the huskiest voice of the lot.

James and Sirius bowed as a few students in the room cheered. As they returned to the sofa, Peter spoke up. "That's a great idea James, it's just too bad that Lily's already got a boyfriend!"

"What?" sneered James, the smile and colour withdrawing from his face.

"She has a boyfriend!" crowed Peter again, who was thoroughly enjoying having all of James' attention directed at him.

"Who?" demanded James dangerously, advancing on a now quivering Peter.

"I'm not allowed to say!" he whimpered, scrambling away from James.

"Let him alone," said Remus quietly, throwing himself between James and Peter.

"You know who it is too, don't you?" accused James softly. The impulse driven rage had subsided and he now seemed desperate and as defenceless as a lamb. Remus felt several particularly sharp stabs of guilt as he nodded. He hadn't meant to tell James like this... "So why are you protecting the slimy git?"

"Because I'm the slimy git James." The few students who had been watching the scene snapped around in their chairs, knowing that they wouldn't want to get involved.

"Wasn't expecting that one mate," said Sirius sympathetically, letting out a low whistle.

"You're not serious are you?" asked James, frozen in front of Remus, as Peter still shook from behind the two.

"As of today, I am serious," said Remus quietly.

"You bastard!" spat James, and in a matter of seconds he had thrown himself onto Remus and begun pummelling him. It took Sirius' pulling at James' neck and several pathetic sobs from Peter, who had been effectively crushed under his two best friends, to get James to relent. The few students who remained in the room took the commencement of the fight as a signal to leave. They hurriedly packed their books, each mumbling some sort of incoherent excuse. When they'd all left, and the Marauders had each caught their breath, James had a few more choice words for Remus.

"Alright, stop," said Sirius firmly after James had advanced on Remus for the third time. "Peter and I are going to step back to, er, over here," he began, indicating a smaller chair close to the fireplace, "and the two of you are going to talk and... er... do other sensitive. feeling. type things... OK?"

"Right," said Remus cautiously, wiping a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Why do you hate me?" roared James dramatically, slumping into the sofa.

"I don't."

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know," responded Remus, who had taken to leaning on the fireplace mantle. "I care a lot about her..."

"Does she love you?" he asked, the smirk reappearing on his face.

"I don't know..."

"Then break up with her!" he announced, jumping out of the sofa for the second time. "Do it because you _love _ME!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up for effect. He winced and dropped back onto the chair, clutching his side. "I think you bruised one of my ribs Rem!"

"I'll bruise more than that if you continue behaving like this!" exclaimed Remus, finally tired of James' childishness. "You haven't mentioned Lily for a year, you said it yourself, you made it seem like you didn't like her like that anymore! I've been friends with her since our second year and you want me to break up with her just because you ask me to?! No, sorry, not going to happen... She doesn't want you, she wants me, So deal with it James!"

"You're kidding right?" asked James, matching Remus' tone of voice.

"No. I'm not," said Remus, considerably quieter as he left the Commons Room.

**Author Note: **Hehe, oops… I've had this saved on my computer for a while but until I got a new review this morning, I'd sort of forgotten about it. I'm on summer holiday now, so you can expect quite a few new chapters soon… cheers


	3. You Make Me Sweat

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter and the related characters, terms, etc., I only accept credit and/or responsibility for the plot that you do not recognise. So... yeah.

**Summary:** James Potter and Lily Evans were married and had a prodigy of a son named Harry James Potter. That is for certain. What happened before then, and to whom Lily's love was promised before an accident tied her to James is left totally up to yours truly. Enjoy.

**Chapter: **"Make Me Sweat"

"We Can't Forget."

"You're not what?" asked Lily innocently, meeting Remus as he exited the portrait.

"Not staying in the Commons Room," he answered quietly, meeting Lily's bemused look with a weak smile.

"Oh. But could you help me carry these books inside before you go?" she asked, indicating the load of tomes in her arms. "Please?" she added, bringing Remus out of what was obviously a troubled line of thought.

"No." he said abruptly, only reconsidering after seeing the hurt look on Lily's face. "What I mean is that I could, well, I could show you better than I could say it." He pointed his wand at her books and smiled as they shrank until they formed a perfect stack and fit in the palm of her hand.

"I'll take these," he said, doing just that and depositing the tiny books in his pocket. "And I'll take this too," he added, gently taking Lily's hand.

Lily watched Remus in silence as he led her around the castle and soon realised that something was wrong with him, it was quite obvious. The newfound wrinkles on his forehead and the worry lines around his mouth gave it away. Besides, Remus' hand was sweating freely and it was a known fact that Remus Lupin did not sweat.

"Remus John Harold Lupin," said Lily sternly, stopping and grasping him by the shoulders. As your girlfriend…" here she stopped and smiled in spite of herself, "your girlfriend," she repeated, giggling slightly.

"What I mean to say is," she continued, as somberly as before, "I demand to know what's been bothering you." With that, she guided him quite effectively with her body to the nearest wall,

Remus chewed his lip nervously before answering Lily for two very different reasons. First, he had to decide what to tell Lily about the situation with James. Second, his girlfriend had him pinned to a wall, in an empty corridor, their bodies pressed quite closely together. It was enough to make any boy sweat. And for whatever reason, Remus felt the need to tell her as such.

"You make me sweat," he whispered into her ear, causing Lily to take a step away from him and blush a very deep shade of red.

"Oh," was all she could manage before regaining her composure. "I mean, do I really?" Remus nodded. "Good," she said, returning to the aggressive Lily that always was, well with Remus anyway. She smiled a smile that made her emerald eyes sparkle as she moved even closer to him than she had been before. It was Remus' turn to be rendered speechless.

"I, er, I…" he stammered trying to meet Lily's lips with his own, desperate for any form of indulgence in the emotions he was experiencing. Lily, though she sensed this, continually dodged him; this was a woman with a plan.

"Uh-Uh," she said, shaking her head, "not until you tell me what's going on with you." Remus moved from underneath her and immediately regretted it; he missed her warm presence already.

To fill that void, Remus retook Lily's hand and they resumed walking. Obediently, he launched into a description of the afternoon's events, although completely avoiding any eye contact with Lily.

He took care to make the whole situation seem less unpleasant than it had been. He reduced the huge fight they had had to a brotherly debate. His bleeding lip? That was Lily's doing from earlier in the library. And James, he hadn't been selfish and threatening, only upset and disappointed. After all, they were his friends, and aside from Lily, they were his _only_ friends. If he were to tell Lily the –well– _truth_, she would most likely have more than a few choice words for the lot of them. And them, they would have less than a few words for Remus.

"… That's when I left, and ran into you…" he ended.

Lily took a moment to absorb the information Remus had just poured out and the information that he had obviously withheld. She was not fooled, not in the least. Of course, she was a bit putout that Remus would lie to her, but she understood. She too had thought that James had finally gotten over his silly crush on her; but this apparently was not the case. And now, Remus and his best friend were fighting, over her no less.

"I'll handle it," she said, determined to set things right.

"No you can't!" Remus said, a bit louder than he had intended.

"I have to," Lily responded, cupping her hand over Remus' mouth. While they had been walking, talking, and thinking they had approached a more populated section of the castle where it wasn't a great idea to yell, especially when you were an ex-prefect or Head Girl.

"No. _I_ have to," Remus said, moving her hand from his face. Using his wand, Remus unlocked the door to a dusty and obviously unused classroom and led Lily inside. Locking the door, he explained that it was his problem and therefore his responsibility. "Besides, I have a plan."

"You know, we shouldn't be in here," Lily mused, leaving a finger trail across several layers of dust on an old desk.

"We shouldn't. But you owe me a kiss. Or three… or this many," Remus said, holding up all of his fingers. Lily couldn't help but laugh and push her Head Girl sense of responsibility to the back of her mind as she gave her boyfriend "this many" kisses.

**Author Note: **Hopefully you've realised that I am actually still alive. =) I'm really sorry that it has taken so long for me to update, and that all you get after all that time is this super short chapter… But I promise that I'm really rolling now. I have the plot all lined out and just want to do a little MWPP _research _to make this fic as realistic yet, R/L wonderful as possible. On another note, I went through a few of the other R/L fics out there and for the most part they're very similar: Remus and Lily are together, James hates it, then some-something happens and Lily realises she's loved James all along and they get together. That is not going to happen here. I have said all this to say that you can expect something really good and really original, really soon. =) cheers


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